GAIBANDHA, June 02, 2018 (BSS)-Farming of ‘Barshali Dhan’, a variety of
transplanted Aus paddy (T-Aus), has gained much popularity among farmers of
the district in recent years for its desired output.
Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) sources said after harvesting
Boro paddy the land remained totally useless and fallow for three months
until the start of T-Aman paddy cultivation.
If seedlings of Barshali Dhan are transplanted on the land just after
harvesting the Boro paddy in the month of Baishakh, the farmers could harvest
it at the end of Bahdra or in the first week of Srabon.
In this way, a farmer could get three crops including T-Aman paddy, Boro
paddy in a year easily and be economically benefited side by side with
achieving food security for his family.
The sources said like the previous years the farmers of the district were
motivated to cultivate the T-Aus variety on their land this year. And
accordingly the farmers cultivated the T-Aus variety on 4800 hectares in all
the seven upazilas of the district during the current season.
The sources said the variety includes BRRI Dhan 28, BRRI Dhan 42, BRRI
Dhan 43, BRRI Dhan 48, BR 26, parija, and Qudrat.
Abu Bakar Akanda, a farmer of Shantiram village under Sundarganj upazila,
said he farmed the T-Aus variety on two bighas of land this year to get
additional crop in the gap of the Boro and Aman season.
Rashedul Islam, Sundarganj upazila agriculture officer, said if the weather
is favorable, the farmers can get 14/15 maunds of paddy from a bigha of land
with a nominal cost.
Rashedul Islam also said the farming of T-Aus variety has gained much
popularity among farmers of Sundarganj uapzila than other upazilas of the
district as a total of 2500 hectares of land of the upazila were brought
under the farming this season.
The seedlings of the T-Aus variety have grown well on the land and taken a
greenish look which gives the growers expectation to get desired output
against the crop.
Deputy director (DD) of DAE AKM Ruhul Amin told BSS that the department
set a target to farm the variety on 1682 hectares this year, but the target
was exceeded with bringing more 3118 hectares under the farming.